More than one hundred people attended a recent meeting called to discuss how the university should react to recent cases in which young African-American men were killed by police.

The meeting, held Dec. 17 in the Knight Library, included police officers, community leaders and university administrators. They discussed ways the UO can keep conversations going about race and violence.

The meeting opened with an opportunity to share thoughts about events such as the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.,  and Eric Garner in New York. These conversations were aimed at identifying “inclusion goals” for the community.

Though the events that sparked the meeting were national in scale, the focus narrowed to Eugene. Participants were asked what action citizens could take to promote awareness, understanding and change on personal, social or government levels.

People suggested there is a lack of empathy between people of color and whites. Discussions pointed out that many of the young black men killed this year were demonized by media outlets and said the word “thug” was used to dehumanize those subjected to police brutality.  

Karla Kennedy, member of the School of Journalism and Communication, spoke about a lack of civic education in schools across the country.

“This is not taught in high school. They’re not learning empathy,” she said. Other speakers claimed that this educational hole helped perpetuate a “cycle of violence.”  

Other speakers also touched on the cycle of violence. Many believe it is created by fears harbored by police and focused on minorities, making dialogue difficult and reactionary violence easier.

Ideas were brought up about creating “safe spaces” around the community and on campus and how identifying self-bias in white members of the community could make all of Eugene a safer and more welcoming place for minorities.

—By Nathan Stevens, Public Affairs Communications intern